When coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) first came on the scene in the 1960s and 1970s, parts and work pieces were measured by well-trained inspectors in clean rooms and labs far from the shop-floor hubbub. In these controlled environments, cantilever-style (and eventually, bridge, gantry, and horizontal-arm) CMMs provided extremely accurate measurements. However, the measuring process was inefficient, specifically concerning the time needed to transport parts to the lab and back for validation and verification.

There has been a revolution in industrial metrology during the past few decades. Now, the name of the game is in-line inspection for much quicker test and inspection and without losing the accuracy. But how do you neutralize the noise, dirt, and vibration found in machine shops and still protect the integrity of your measurement?

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